Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities - Belzoni, Mississippi

Considered by some as the “farm-raised catfish capital of the world,” this small Humphreys County seat emerged in the 1820s as a riverboat settlement. The town’s name, Belzoni, (pronounced "bel-ZONE-uh"), was created by a New Orleans planter, Alvira Fisk, who bought the land and named it after the 19th-century Italian explorer, Giovanni Battista Belzoni. The first settlement in Belzoni was constructed at Burtonia Landing, a little south of Belzoni. A large fire in the area in 1888 forced the entire population to move farther up the river, where they began to rebuild their community on the present site of the city.

19th Century Belzoni: Between 1879 and 1900, the Jewish population increased greatly. The town was incorporated in 1895 with Stephen Castelman as its first mayor. The city felt the influence of Jewish settlers when mercantile operations began to develop along the Yazoo River. Most businesses in town were located on a street known as Greasy row, and many Jewish merchants set up stores there. The Livingston and Morris families were some of the first to open general merchandise stores and to grow cotton. Other Jews began to arrive by the 1880s as they, bringing their special trades to an ever-growing community. One example of this emerging Jewish merchant class was the Cohn family. Born in Germany, Morris Cohn came to the Belzoni area by way of New York City. He bought a tract of land and established Messrs. Cohn & Company, a business that eventually became known as one of the oldest dry goods and grocery stores in Belzoni. Cohn sold quality goods, which lead to his success in business as well as in reputation. Cohn was president of the Building and Loan Association and Director of the Bank of Belzoni. He was reputed to be one of the richest men in Mississippi. His success in the dry goods store allowed him to explore other ventures including banking, insurance, and oil. His two sons continued the family business and were also active in the community. J.D. Cohn was a member of the city council and an alderman. Cohn also promoted the general welfare of Belzoni. Stephen Castleman, a young Catholic man who worked for Cohn, became mayor of Belzoni during the 1890s.

Jewish life in Belzoni:Although Jews were a tiny minority of the population, they found ways to survive and even thrive in the Mississippi Delta. Although Jews became very prominent in both the political and mercantile realms of Belzoni around the turn of the century, this small community was never large enough to have a functioning synagogue or Jewish cemetery of its own. Without Jewish institutions, Jews in the area most likely practiced their faith either in private homes or at a synagogue in a neighboring town.Some Jewish immigrants, like members of the Davidow family, came to Belzoni from rural areas in Europe. Living in a small town in rural Mississippi, they found a way of life that was not much different from the “old country.” In 1880, Solomon Davidow arrived in the United States from Russia and began selling clothing and goods as he traveled down the East Coast. In 1891, he married Frieda Cohn, daughter of Morris Cohn, and had great success through his excellent business skills. After his long travels as a peddler and lengthy stays in Yazoo City and Pulaski, Tennessee, Davidow decided to settle in Belzoni in 1892. He opened the Davidow Dry Goods Store, which earned him a reputation for selling the most popular goods from the East Coast at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, Davidow’s wife’s sudden death in 1914 caused him to fall into a state of depression. His business declined, and he died a poor man. His grandson, however, went on to become Rabbi Fred Victor Davidow.Victor Abe Stein emigrated to America from Lithuania through the port of Baltimore. In 1897, he and his business partner in Cincinnati followed some advice to take goods to the Mississippi Delta. When V.A. Stein entered the Delta in 1897, he encountered the pecan, a nut he had not encountered in Eastern Europe. A family history describes him carrying around his first pecan in his right-hand pants pocket for the rest of his life. Stein eventually saved up enough money from working as a merchant in nearby Erwin, Mississippi, to put money down on Little Hope Plantation in Chatham. His son Lawrence eventually took over the operation of the plantation and prospered.

Early 20th century:Belzoni boasted a railroad by 1900, and in 1918 Belzoni became the county seat of the newly formed Humphreys county. During this time, Jews continued to establish general stores such as Goldberg’s Fancy Grocery and Goldberg’s Department store. The Department Store, which was established in 1916, still exists today.

A vanishing community: Many Jews settled in the area only temporarily, quickly moving on to larger Delta towns like Yazoo City, Greenville, and Indianola. Many Jews raised in Belzoni, such as movie producer Lawrence Gordon, left in search of greater opportunities in urban areas. This was especially true when small catfish farms began to replace the large cotton plantations of the past. By 1937, only 38 Jews lived in Belzoni. Despite the decline of Belzoni’s Jewish community, the impact of Jewish life on this small Delta town is enshrined in its rich history.